Odisha to form inter-ministerial committee to resolve interstate disputes
According to a press release issued by the Chief Minister’s Office, the meeting involved in-depth discussions on various ongoing disputes, including issues surrounding the Polavaram project, the Mahanadi River, and the Kotia region, among others.
Odisha is currently involved in multiple disputes with neighbouring states — West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Jharkhand. These conflicts primarily revolve around water-sharing, dam construction, and boundary-related issues. Notably, the long-standing territorial dispute with Andhra Pradesh over Kotia gram panchayat, which includes 21 villages, has been ongoing since 1960.
Attendees included law minister Prithiviraj Harichandan, advocate general Pitambar Acharya, Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja, Nikunj Bihari Dhal, the additional chief secretary to the Chief Minister, and development commissioner Anu Garg, among other senior officials.
The state also faces a boundary dispute with West Bengal, involving 27 plots in the Balasore district and areas within Mayurbhanj district. In addition, Odisha and Chhattisgarh are entangled in territorial conflicts over certain villages in the Nabarangpur and Jharsuguda districts.
The Vansadhara Water Disputes Tribunal was established in 2009 to address water-sharing conflicts between Odisha and Andhra Pradesh concerning the Vansadhara River. Recently, Odisha raised further objections regarding the construction of the Polavaram dam by Andhra Pradesh on the Godavari River, citing potential impacts on its territories.
Furthermore, the Mahanadi Water Disputes Tribunal, constituted by the Central government in 2018, was tasked with mediating the Mahanadi River water-sharing dispute between Odisha and Chhattisgarh.
